Welcome

Rockin' Granola is not your average mama blog:  serving up everything from preschool rock concerts and backyard science experiments to knitting patterns and poetry, with an organic twist and a strong dose of reality chaser.  Rockin' Granola is crunchy on the outside with a rock'n'roll center.  I like to think of it as natural parenting and organic family living ... for the rest of us.

Who am I? My name is Kara Fleck and I am a wife and mother of four.

In my pre-married life I have done everything from designing flyers for local bands (which sounds much cooler than the small-scale venture it actually was), working for my university's English department as a student secretary, and for a few years I was the assistant manager of a small bookstore.

I married my husband, Christopher, in 2000 and we started a family shortly thereafter.

Before turning to blogging, my creative outlet was self-publishing a hand-drawn zine on life as a new mother as well as editing a compilation zine on extended breastfeeding called Yes, I'm STILL Nursing.  I was a part of the first Mamaphiles: Birth project.  I have been published in the Little Acorn Learning newsletter, Rhythm of the Home, Bamboo magazine, as well as the Simple Living Media blogs: Simple Mom, Simple Homeschool, and Simple Organic/Simple Homemade.  I've also been a guest on the Simple Mom and the Raising Playful Tots podcasts.

I've been writing at Rockin' Granola since April 2009, although I had a few other blogs before that. Rockin' Granola, however, has always been the place on the internet that feels the most like "home" to me.  This is a one-woman show (So be gentle on the management).  

In late 2012, with trembling hands, I introduced a new format for RG.

Though I don't focus as much on homeschool content these days (at the request of my older children) once upon a time I used to write about it in this space quite a bit.  In 2010, this blog was nominated for a Homeschool Blog Award from The Homeschool Post (and it truly was an honor to be nominated in such good company!)

In February 2010 I become the editor of Simple Kids, part of the Simple Living Media network of blogs, where I work with a team of truly talented and amazing writers.
 

4 Random Things About Me

• I always have at least one knitting project on the needles, usually four or five
• My Myers-Briggs personality type is INFP
• My favorite shoes are my black Converse
• I love Indy Car racing 

Rockin' Granola? What is that?
I've been using "Rockin Granola" as my username on email lists, chat groups, and message boards for years.  It was a natural step to name my blog that.  I don't wear tie-dye and my family rebels against tofu, but with our homeschooling, recycling, nature loving life and my bohemian tendencies, I'd call myself a "hippie" ... tho' I'm not sure hippies watch Monday Night Football and eat Froot Loops (bought on sale with double coupons, of course). We've kicked our Froot Loops habit!

While I'm not going to pretend we don't own plastic legos and playmobil, overall we are pretty  naturally and holistically inspired. We may not be following our favorite bands as they tour the country anymore, but we still have some pretty good living room jam sessions.

I like to think of us as a little bit "crunchy" and a little bit rock'n'roll.

THANK YOU to everyone who visits! If what I have to say is helpful to you or gets you to think about something differently, then I'm so glad. But, if it isn't, there are plenty of other sources out there and I wish you luck on your search to find what you need.

This is my personal webspace and my own thoughts and experiences I'm sharing here and I'm not looking to debate homeschooling, religion, politics, or parenting.  As someone wiser than I once said, "take what you can use, blow away the rest"

So, if you're one of the few people who stops by here just to leave an insult or pick a fight, be warned:  I wouldn't let someone stand in my living room and talk to me like that and it isn't very likely I'm going to let some stranger stand in my virtual living room and talk to me like that either.  I have a delete key and a very low tolerance for meanness.

Need to Get In Touch?
My email is KaraFleck@gmail.com
I'm RockinGranola on Ravelry, too

You can also find me at Simple Kids, where I am the editor:
Twitter @SimpleKids
Facebook - Simple Kids